Ezekiel 8 16

Ezekiel 8:16 kjv

And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

Ezekiel 8:16 nkjv

So He brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house; and there, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.

Ezekiel 8:16 niv

He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east.

Ezekiel 8:16 esv

And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD. And behold, at the entrance of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east, worshiping the sun toward the east.

Ezekiel 8:16 nlt

Then he brought me into the inner courtyard of the LORD's Temple. At the entrance to the sanctuary, between the entry room and the bronze altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs to the sanctuary of the LORD. They were facing east, bowing low to the ground, worshiping the sun!

Ezekiel 8 verses

Ezekiel 8 16 Meaning

Ezekiel 8:16 describes the climactic and most egregious abomination observed by the prophet in the visionary tour of the Jerusalem Temple. In this sacred inner court, specific religious leaders, identified as about twenty-five men, deliberately turned their backs on the House of the LORD. They faced eastward, directly towards the rising sun, and engaged in active prostration and worship of the sun, openly rejecting YHWH within His own sanctuary. This act symbolized a profound apostasy and covenant breach, signifying the complete spiritual corruption of the nation's leadership and the desecration of God's dwelling place.

Ezekiel 8 16 Context

Ezekiel chapter 8 initiates a vision wherein the prophet is supernaturally transported from Babylonia to Jerusalem by the Spirit of God. His purpose is to witness the "great abominations" taking place within the Temple, which ultimately provoke God's glory to depart (Eze 10:18-19, Eze 11:22-23) and prelude the destruction of the city (Eze 9). The chapter systematically reveals escalating levels of idolatry, starting with a 'provoking image of jealousy' (Eze 8:5), then secret idol worship by seventy elders in hidden chambers (Eze 8:7-12), followed by women weeping for the pagan god Tammuz at the north gate (Eze 8:13-14). Verse 16 culminates this series of revelations by exposing the most blatant and offensive act of sun worship, perpetrated by twenty-five leading men in the innermost sacred space of the Temple, directly demonstrating the utter spiritual corruption of Judah's religious elite before the impending Babylonian destruction of 586 BCE. This vision vividly illustrates the profound moral decay and spiritual bankruptcy that warranted God's judgment upon His own people and sanctuary.

Ezekiel 8 16 Word analysis

• And He brought me: The referent is the "Spirit" or "Hand of the LORD" mentioned earlier in Eze 8:3. This emphasizes divine agency in the revelation. Ezekiel's entire vision is guided by God.
• into the inner court: (חֲצֵר הַפְּנִימִית, ḥatzer ha-penimît). This was the priests' court, a sacred area forbidden to most Israelites, signifying the heightened degree of desecration. It highlights that the defilement reached the very core of priestly duty and Temple service.
• of the house of the LORD: (בֵּית־יְהוָה, bêṯ Yᵊhōwāh). Refers to the Temple in Jerusalem, understood as the designated dwelling place of God's presence on earth. Its desecration is an affront to YHWH directly.
• and behold: An interjection used frequently by Ezekiel to draw attention to startling or significant revelations within his vision, underscoring the shocking nature of the scene.
• at the entrance to the temple of the LORD: (לְפֶתַח הֵיכַל יְהוָה, lᵊfeṯaḥ hêḵal Yᵊhōwāh). Specifies an even more precise location, indicating closeness to the main sanctuary, the "Holy Place."
• between the porch and the altar: (בֵּין הָאוּלָם וְלַמִּזְבֵּחַ, bêyn hāʾûlām wᵊlāmmizbēaḥ). This is a critically significant area. The "porch" (ʼûlām) was the entrance vestibule to the Holy Place. The "altar" (mizbēaḥ) was the great bronze altar for burnt offerings in the inner court. This specific spot was where priests regularly performed their duties and where they would stand to intercede for the people, especially in times of crisis (as seen in Joel 2:17). This highlights the deliberate and ironic nature of their apostasy.
• were about twenty-five men: (כַּחֲמִשָּׁה וְעֶשְׂרִים אִישׁ, kaḥamiššâ wᵊʿeśrîm ʾîš). This numerical detail suggests a group of prominent figures, often interpreted as the chief priests, leaders of priestly courses, or important elders, possibly representing the spiritual leadership of Israel. Their high position makes their idolatry particularly heinous and influential.
• with their backs to the temple of the LORD: An act of ultimate spiritual disrespect and deliberate rejection. It symbolizes turning away from YHWH and His covenant, a complete abandonment of their divine calling. True worship involved facing the sanctuary. This directly mirrors Jerusalem's spiritual apostasy in turning away from God.
• and their faces toward the east: This specific orientation points directly to the sun's rising position. This detail is central to identifying the pagan practice.
• and they were prostrating themselves eastward toward the sun: (מִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם קֵדְמָה לַשָּׁמֶשׁ, mištaḥawîṯem qêḏmâ laššāmeš). "Prostrating themselves" (šāḥah) is the Hebrew term for bowing down in worship, leaving no doubt about their idolatrous intentions. Sun worship was a prominent practice in ancient Near Eastern religions (Egyptian, Babylonian, Canaanite). This act is a blatant violation of the First and Second Commandments and the covenant with YHWH, demonstrating a profound spiritual adultery within God's own house.

Ezekiel 8 16 Bonus section

The number "twenty-five men" might evoke other leadership groups in the Old Testament, such as the heads of the priestly divisions or perhaps the "princes" mentioned in Ezekiel's later visions (Eze 11:1-2). Regardless of their exact identification, their prominent position made their apostasy a critical scandal and a source of nationwide spiritual infection. This scene serves as a powerful polemic against any syncretistic practices where foreign deities were tolerated or openly worshipped alongside YHWH. It directly confronts the belief that God would tolerate such profound disrespect within His sanctuary, even from His chosen leaders. The sun was worshipped as a principal deity in many neighboring cultures, often associated with life-giving power or cosmic order (e.g., the Egyptian god Ra or the Babylonian god Shamash). This act directly challenged YHWH's sole claim as the Creator and sustainer of life, turning worship from the true source to a created element. The deliberate act of turning one's back on the Holy of Holies contrasts sharply with the prescribed posture for prayer and worship, which involved facing towards the Temple or Jerusalem, highlighting a conscious rejection of their covenant identity.

Ezekiel 8 16 Commentary

Ezekiel 8:16 delivers the most shocking indictment against Jerusalem's spiritual state, illustrating the culmination of Israel's apostasy. This vivid scene presents the nation's spiritual leaders – twenty-five men, likely priests or elders – deliberately performing an act of overt pagan worship within the sacred inner court of God's Temple. Their turning their backs on the Temple of the LORD signified a conscious rejection of YHWH's presence and covenant. Simultaneously, their faces oriented eastward and their acts of prostration directly to the sun demonstrated open devotion to a pagan deity. This was not a hidden sin; it was brazenly performed in a most holy place, exposing the utter depravity and rebellion of those entrusted with the spiritual care of the nation. The specific location "between the porch and the altar" – the precise spot where priests were meant to intercede for the people – underscores the horrific irony: the very individuals appointed to draw the people to God were actively leading them away from Him through blatant idolatry. This unparalleled desecration justified God's imminent judgment, revealing that the corruption had permeated the highest echelons of religious authority.